Nature Moncton Nature News: May 9 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, 9 May 2020 (Saturday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

On Friday evening, Therese and Jim Carroll discovered 2 BLACK-HEADED GULLS at Red Head Marsh near Saint John just before sundown. Interestingly it is the second occurrence of Black-Headed Gull at the marsh this season. First was discovered by David Putt on April 5^th.

Jim’s photos nicely show the more brownish cast to the hooded head than the similar more black- hooded Bonaparte’s Gull. The combo of red legs and bill of the adult Black-headed Gull is a feature whereas the Bonaparte’s Gull has a dark bill and red legs as an adult.

**Clifford Twist visited Bell Marsh on Thursday and Friday and comments YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune] seemed to be everywhere, suggesting up to 100. He also saw one PALM WARBLER [Paruline à couronne rousse], one COMMON YELLOWTHROAT [Paruline masquée], and one BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER [Paruline noir et blanc], plus some expected ducks and geese. A reminder we all should be monitoring this marsh more, especially at this time of year.

**John Massey reports his first RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD [Colibri à gorge rubis] arrived to his Dieppe feeder yard on Friday, May 8th. John also has two nest boxes occupied by BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire].

**Dave Christie had his first RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD [Colibri à gorge rubis] visit on Friday. The feeder had been up for several days, and the only visitor was a seemingly curious YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune] that was also checking out millet and sunflower tube feeders, possibly taking crumbs left by other birds feeding.

**Sarah Chouinard reports they have had YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune] nest in their yard almost every year, but typically it’s just a pair. Last year they had a breeding pair and 3 babies successfully fledged. This year started out like previous years, with 1 arriving three or four weeks ago, then 2. Last week they hit their highest number yet, with 5 being there from dawn till dusk daily. Thursday, number 6 arrived, and Friday they have a crazy number. She knows it’s more than 10, as that’s how many she was able to count at one time between 2 trees. This is the most active that they have ever seen, likely because the group is so large. They are everywhere: on their car, shed roofs, deck, several trees, all the feeders (suet and feed), in the garden, and in the driveway. Very interesting! Sarah commented, as she sent the message, that looking out of her office window she could see 6 without even having to look around. This is a very unexpected number of Yellow-rumped Warblers for a yard, but this seems to be happening this year for some reason. Elaine McCullough, in a report of a few days ago, reported an unusual number in her Riverview yard, but could not get an accurate estimate of their numbers.

**Gordon Rattray re-visited Gray Brook pond on Friday. There was a pair of WOOD DUCKS [Canard branchu] in the upper end where there have been nests in the past. The rest was quiet. The usual AMERICAN WIGEONS [Canard d'Amérique] which are probably now nesting, and a few MALLARD DUCKS [Canard colvert].

At his Weldon feeders, he had four sparrow species at once, being SONG [Bruant chanteur], CHIPPING [Bruant familier] (five), WHITE-THROATED [Bruant à gorge blanche] (a pair), and one SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant des prés], to get some nice photos. Also his first female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à epaulettes] dropped by.

Leigh Eaton comments he is still looking for a Purple Finch to his yard but they always turn out to be House Finch, usually in pairs. On Thursday he had Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrows, American Robin, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbird, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, European Starling, Black- capped Chickadees, and Grey Squirrels visiting. Leigh has been taking note of all the Yellow-rumped Warblers appearing in yards but not his as yet. A special visitor on Thursday was a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. We have a brief time window to see this bird as it makes feeling stops at our feeders on its migration north to breed. Leigh also includes a photo of his beautifully curved life like Wood Duck, a gift from his wife.

**One of Mac Wilmot’s YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune] encountered a window strike, but grandson Silas came to the rescue. He hand held it for a time, and it appeared to make a full recovery.

**Jane LeBlanc shares some photographic moments from Friday. A very bright spring-plumaged male AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune], and that’s actually a big raindrop falling above its head. A photo of a contentedly singing SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant des prés], even though the vocalization may not be exactly musical. A BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] being closely watched, as is so often the case, by CROWS [Corneille] and deciding elsewhere may be more comfortable.

**Aldo Dorio got a photo of an immature BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] at Hay Island. There is a significant amount of yellow in the bill, to suggest it’s in its second or possibly third year of life.

**Carol Shea in Upham took note of a dropping of scat and wondered “whodunit?” It was approximately six inches across. The contents would appear to be CHOKE CHERRIES [Cerisier à grappes], and rather bleached-looking to suggest that it may be from last fall. As Choke Cherries would be in trees, it would be suggestive it may be a BLACK BEAR [Ours noir] that left the scat.

**Pat and I spotted two SANDHILL CRANES [Grue du Canada] in a stubble cornfield on the North Napan Road just south of Miramichi on Friday evening. They were quite entertaining to watch, jabbing their long sword-like bills deep into the soil. One bird made some very animated jumps and flaps quite frequently. They had the sharp adult red heads; however, some brownish staining or remnants of immaturity on the mantle area.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton